The Service Employees International Union SEIU Local 721 stole personnel information from San Bernardino Public Employees Association to harass employees

The SEIU, illegally, took the private personnel information of San Bernardino County employees—email address, cell phone number, home addresses and more—to contact them, demanding, threatening and harassing the workers…

Today San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Thomas Peterson granted a temporary restraining order requested by San Bernardino Public Employees Association (SBPEA) against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). SEIU is conducting a decertification campaign against SBPEA to become the collective bargaining representative for more than 11,000 San Bernardino County employees.

In the SEIU Local 721’s attempt to poach San Bernadino’s employees from the SBPEA, it appears they illegally obtained personal home addresses and phone numbers of current SBPEA members. Despite the fact that this information supposed to be confidential, the employees started getting phone calls and mailers from the SEIU. These employees claimed that the communications from the SEIU.

SEIU . . . [is] restrained and enjoined from using and disclosing to anyone Plaintiff’s members’ confidential personal information (including, but not limited to, home addresses, home and personal phone numbers, and emergency contact information) that was obtained from the County San Bernardino’s employee records whether such information was obtained from the County of San Bernardino from SEIU, obtained from the County of San Bernardino by any of SEIU’s agents or employees, or obtained from the County of San Bernardino by a third party and provided to SEIU.”

This is not the first time an outside union has attempted to poach workers from the SBPEA. In August of 2013, the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) also attempted to decertify the SBPEA. They were not successful.

The SEIU Local 721’s attempt to decertify the SBPEA shows that they are still more intent on growing by annex rather than growing by appeal. Harassing people into joining your union does not turn them into fans of the organization. While they may ultimately vote your way, they will still harbor resentment that can undermine the long term goals of the organization.

What’s more, this means that the SEIU is spending their resources at gaining new members by force, rather than ensuring that their own members are taken care of. If the union were to spend half of the money used to harass potential members on taking care of their own members, they may be able to have a better case to make when trying to get new members. But this approach seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Ultimately, the SEIU’s strategy is failing, and will continue to fail. The overall size of the SEIU is shrinking. Rather than facing the underlying issues of corruption, mismanagement and scandal, they double down on them. Breaking the law again follows a terrible precedent that sadly the SEIU seems bent on not changing anytime soon.

I paid union due and fair share fee about 30 years and SEIU Local 1000 never helped me one thing. When I got wrongful termination in year 2004, union ignored my call, email and certified letter. Now I work under the situation without enough information to do my job, without individual development plan like others, rejected promotion after passing exam while others did not pass and got promotion, out of classification jobs, yelling and shouting from supervisor, rejecting training, etc. Union is not helping, but harassing and attacking me. SEIU representative Olga Hansen limited all complaints to rejecting training. She hold the complaint over 30 days before she contacted me and said anything it is not timely filed and could show the rule of 30 days. After that she instructed two job stewards Joyce Minzey and Darlia Jaramillo to harass and attack. Minzey said that I am on attack mode and do not listen without fact to support. Jaramillo said I did not grow up while I refused to listen all the lies. I have all the emails from them to prove what I said. SEIU changed from bad to worse.

Work for San Bernardino County gave my information willing tired of this corrupt so call union we have want to get rid of them but cant do it by myself….lots of ppl talk and complain but to afraid to stand together for real change.. Grew up with a TEAMSTER father I understand change is hard but necessary for better future/results.